Imagine
if you did everything Rick Nielson of Cheap trick told you to
do: practiced in the basement and learned all the songs. Jumped
around in front of the mirror and rehearsed all the moves. Started
a band. Got in the van and toured for years on end. Made great
albums. Rocked kids around the world. And then one day
you
came home, you were thirty years old and half the people you
knew were now accountants, the other half dead, and you asked
yourself: How the hell did I get here?
That
sums up the last fifteen years in the life of the original
pop kid John Kastner. John had landed back in his hometown
of Montreal after the last Doughboys' tour and his city was
gone. "A lot of my friends had moved away, The Doughboys were
in limbo, a close friend had died, and I was going through
a lot of other changes in my life. All of a sudden I had no
one around, and nothing to do. It got me thinking about my
life, what I was doing, why I was doing it, who I was. It's
funny, rock is supposed to be about doing what you want, but
I didn't even know what I was doing anymore, forget about
whether I wanted it or not."
Enter
Mark Arnold former California guitar hero of the band Big
Drill Car. John and Mark form All Systems GO! in early 1998
and immediately record their self titled debut record with
the help of Frank Daly on bass, Daniel Rey producing and Dave
Ogilvie mixing. They tour mostly in California, some in Canada,
even open for Pearl Jam, get a slot on the Warped Tour then
get derailed in July 1999.
Fast
forward October 2000:
Enter
Peter Arsenault former Haligonian guitar turned bass player,
party central for five years in the Doughboys. Enter Dean
Bentley former skin basher, nice guy for Monster Voodoo Machine.
All have had similar revelations about life and music. After
all the work in other bands the hopes and dreams of stardom
long since faded they still decide tis better to rock than
not at all.
The
band is reborn and put on track with a Canadian / US tour June,
July 2000. One year after the reported demise of ASG! during
Warped 1999. True a year had passed since Frank Daly (Big Drill
Car), who had decided touring wasn't for him anymore, had left
the band during the Warped tour, but the idea, the songs
never
died.
Limbo
allowed John to get married, Mark to do some touring as a
soundman and time to find the right team to make up the permanent
touring line up for ASG! Frank had really only participated
in the recording and very little writing of the record and
been part of the band less than one year. Many said his departure
would be the demise of ASG! but funny enough it made them
stronger. Critics in Europe and North America praised the
record, the word spread……
Enter
Shock records. Australia comes aboard with new artwork and
extra tracks to breath new life into a record that could have
come out on a major but has prospered on small enthusiastic
labels around the world. Setting up the band to be able to
release a new album in 2001 without all the pressure and expectations
that a multi national inflicts on its artists to meet profit
projections and satisfy shareholders.
A
new video with the current lineup for the song I'll be your
Radio is finished. The band is on tour with The Satanic Surfers
in Europe and heads to Australia in November and December
to tour with the Hard Ons.
Having
fun again is the essence of why All Systems GO! exists. The
music is rock-fueled pop, the band, punk weaned veterans playing
as if it was their first love, only tighter and better than
any previous outfit. They pay homage to their past and set
a course for world domination with their infectious new songs.
THE
ALL SYSTEMS GO! 2000 AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES WERE:
Thu Nov 23rd - Gold Coast, Miami Tavern
Fri Nov 24th - Toowoomba, National Hotel
Sat Nov 25th - Brisbane, Waterloo Hotel
Wed Nov 29th - Newcastle, SJ's Hotel
Thu Nov 30th - Blaxland, Kelt's Bar
Fri Dec 1st - Manly, Fisho's
Sat Dec 2nd - Sydney, Newtown RSL
Sun Dec 3rd - Wyong, Grand Hotel
Wed Dec 6th - Melbourne, The Tote Hotel
Thu Dec 7th - Geelong, Barwon Club
Fri Dec 8th - Melbourne, Corner Hotel
Sat Dec 9th - Adelaide, Enigma Bar
Sun Dec 10th - Adelaide, Enigma Bar
Check
out the official ALL SYSTEMS GO website
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